Narrative:

How the problem arose: after pulling plane out of the hangar; I went through the starting checklist which included master on; magnetos on; prime and set throttle for engine start. I then pushed the starter button; but no power to spin propeller -- most likely a dead battery from leaving the dome light on or something. I then moved my personal vehicle; a 1991 ford ranger to the right side of the plane to use jumper cables to recharge the plane's battery. I remained outside the plane during this time while my wife waited in the front right (passenger) seat. After charging for approximately 5-10 mins; I wanted to know if the battery was charged enough to turn the propeller; so I asked my wife; sitting in the front passenger seat to push on the toe brakes and reach across to press the starter button on the pilot side. I remained outside the plane on the r-hand side; keeping the battery jumper cables free from the propeller area. The plane immediately started and despite her efforts to keep the brakes set; the plane moved into the door of my vehicle; which quickly stopped the propeller and engine; destroying the passenger door to my pick-up truck in the process. The only visible damage to the plane was the propeller bent and a small ding from flying debris on the left wing. In no way was her or my intention to actually start the plane at this juncture; simply just to find out how much charge the battery had to turn the propeller. Perceptions: when I asked my wife to push the starter button; I had totally forgotten that I had it configured to start (master on; magnetos on; primed; throttle set). This greatly contributed to the fact that the propeller started immediately when she pressed the start button. Corrective actions: had I just simply taken the time to charge the battery a while longer; thus ensuring that it had sufficient charge; disconnected the jumper cables from the truck to the plane; closed the cowling; parked the truck; then gotten in the plane and started it normally myself; I could have avoided this whole situation. Factors affecting my decision-making process: had we not gotten a late start that morning; I wouldn't have likely tried to hurry the process along. I can imagine that my thought process would have included the rationale that if I had done the corrective action above and the plane didn't have enough charge in the battery then I would have to get the truck out; hook up the cables; wait a while longer while it charged some more. During this second wait; I would have probably been impatiently wondering if it would start after charging it some more the second time. Moral to the story: don't get in a hurry and do things the right way every time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GRUMMAN AA5A PVT PLT HAS PROP STRIKE WITH PERSONAL VEHICLE.

Narrative: HOW THE PROB AROSE: AFTER PULLING PLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR; I WENT THROUGH THE STARTING CHKLIST WHICH INCLUDED MASTER ON; MAGNETOS ON; PRIME AND SET THROTTLE FOR ENG START. I THEN PUSHED THE STARTER BUTTON; BUT NO PWR TO SPIN PROP -- MOST LIKELY A DEAD BATTERY FROM LEAVING THE DOME LIGHT ON OR SOMETHING. I THEN MOVED MY PERSONAL VEHICLE; A 1991 FORD RANGER TO THE R SIDE OF THE PLANE TO USE JUMPER CABLES TO RECHARGE THE PLANE'S BATTERY. I REMAINED OUTSIDE THE PLANE DURING THIS TIME WHILE MY WIFE WAITED IN THE FRONT R (PAX) SEAT. AFTER CHARGING FOR APPROX 5-10 MINS; I WANTED TO KNOW IF THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED ENOUGH TO TURN THE PROP; SO I ASKED MY WIFE; SITTING IN THE FRONT PAX SEAT TO PUSH ON THE TOE BRAKES AND REACH ACROSS TO PRESS THE STARTER BUTTON ON THE PLT SIDE. I REMAINED OUTSIDE THE PLANE ON THE R-HAND SIDE; KEEPING THE BATTERY JUMPER CABLES FREE FROM THE PROP AREA. THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY STARTED AND DESPITE HER EFFORTS TO KEEP THE BRAKES SET; THE PLANE MOVED INTO THE DOOR OF MY VEHICLE; WHICH QUICKLY STOPPED THE PROP AND ENG; DESTROYING THE PAX DOOR TO MY PICK-UP TRUCK IN THE PROCESS. THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE PLANE WAS THE PROP BENT AND A SMALL DING FROM FLYING DEBRIS ON THE L WING. IN NO WAY WAS HER OR MY INTENTION TO ACTUALLY START THE PLANE AT THIS JUNCTURE; SIMPLY JUST TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH CHARGE THE BATTERY HAD TO TURN THE PROP. PERCEPTIONS: WHEN I ASKED MY WIFE TO PUSH THE STARTER BUTTON; I HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN THAT I HAD IT CONFIGURED TO START (MASTER ON; MAGNETOS ON; PRIMED; THROTTLE SET). THIS GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT THE PROP STARTED IMMEDIATELY WHEN SHE PRESSED THE START BUTTON. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: HAD I JUST SIMPLY TAKEN THE TIME TO CHARGE THE BATTERY A WHILE LONGER; THUS ENSURING THAT IT HAD SUFFICIENT CHARGE; DISCONNECTED THE JUMPER CABLES FROM THE TRUCK TO THE PLANE; CLOSED THE COWLING; PARKED THE TRUCK; THEN GOTTEN IN THE PLANE AND STARTED IT NORMALLY MYSELF; I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS WHOLE SITUATION. FACTORS AFFECTING MY DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: HAD WE NOT GOTTEN A LATE START THAT MORNING; I WOULDN'T HAVE LIKELY TRIED TO HURRY THE PROCESS ALONG. I CAN IMAGINE THAT MY THOUGHT PROCESS WOULD HAVE INCLUDED THE RATIONALE THAT IF I HAD DONE THE CORRECTIVE ACTION ABOVE AND THE PLANE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH CHARGE IN THE BATTERY THEN I WOULD HAVE TO GET THE TRUCK OUT; HOOK UP THE CABLES; WAIT A WHILE LONGER WHILE IT CHARGED SOME MORE. DURING THIS SECOND WAIT; I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN IMPATIENTLY WONDERING IF IT WOULD START AFTER CHARGING IT SOME MORE THE SECOND TIME. MORAL TO THE STORY: DON'T GET IN A HURRY AND DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY EVERY TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.